


Social isolation makes sense (but not from people you live with already)

by SrebrnaFH



Series: Srebrna's Sherlock Oneshots [23]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Isolation, John Watson is a Good Doctor, M/M, Quarantine, Sherlock Being Considerate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23227024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SrebrnaFH/pseuds/SrebrnaFH
Summary: Mycroft is worrying, John is being well-organised and Sherlock is easily distracted.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Series: Srebrna's Sherlock Oneshots [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1356124
Comments: 10
Kudos: 94
Collections: Isolated Johnlock Collection





	Social isolation makes sense (but not from people you live with already)

"Vituperative."

Sherlock jerked up from where he was focused on the specimen under the microscope.

John seemed... surprised.

"How is my brother?"

"Just as I said. I admit, I had no idea Mycroft even knew this kind of vocabulary."

He suppressed a small smirk and switched the sample to a new one.

"And what topic did you two converse upon?"

"The Prime Minister. The idiot still is resisting the idea to put the country on any kind lockdown. Somehow he thinks ensuring the schools are running is more sensible than ensuring the kids don't get sick - or spread the infection."

_Ah._

"Well then, this is one of the cases when Mycroft reaches into the depth of the English language and dredges up the absolute essence of vulgarity that a well-bred Englishman may only utilise in a times of crisis. On a daily basis, he just calls that individual 'a deranged baboon'. Mummy threatened to wash his tongue with soap the last time he and Father started talking about the government at dinner."

"Hm."

He looked up, checking on John. His friend was looking down at his phone, frowning all the while.

"What did he send you?"

"A general request for both of us to keep away from the crowds and adhere to the normal hygienic procedures - he meant hand-washing, I hope. In fact, he begs - as much as Mycroft can beg - for you to take a few backburner cases that he had sent you, no matter how mundane they might seem, until the end of this current mess. I will be fine going to work. In the clinic, we anyway have the decontamination procedures and we wear protective gear... children are scared of me now."

_Mycroft has to be worried then._

Sherlock switched to another slide.

"And what is _he_ doing?"

"Self-quarantining. Apparently someone at the Home Office had tested positive for the virus and now they are putting all the potential cases under lockdown. Mycroft doesn't qualify directly, but he says he had contact with way too many people to risk spreading it even further, especially to his coworkers."

Sherlock grimaced. If Mycroft thought it was serious enough to warrant staying away from his beloved office...

"I should go check on him."

John sounded resolute in that declaration.

"Why would you?"

"He is not in the risk group age-wise, but he lives alone and I don't trust that assistant of his to actually be useful in this case. And he is right, he does have contact with way too many people. I will go tomorrow and see how he is doing, just in case."

"Hm."

He didn't like it.

John should not be just visiting his brother for any random reason. Who knew what stupid thing Mycroft would tell him about Sherlock this time, if Sherlock himself was not around to stop him--

In a moment of distraction, he allowed himself to be dragged away from his samples and towards the sofa.

"Stop being like that," John grumbled. "This is your brother I will be checking on. You know? That bloke that actually officiated our wedding? Yeah? So, stop pouting, get on the sofa and let's watch something for a moment. Yes, you can lie down, you lazy..."

"But what about properly practicing social isolation?" he pointed out, perversely.

"Social isolation from someone you've been sleeping with for the last few months? Useless at this point."

He stretched, his head in John's lap, eyes blissfully closed at the feeling of his husband's hands in his curls.

Maybe that whole isolation thing wouldn't be so bad, after all.

He would have all the time in the world to check on the samples he had collected in London public transport, assorted doorknobs and handles and the shop baskets in the vicinity of their flat. The changes in the composition of bacterial layer since the pandemic panic had started were most fascinating.

Most probably John had intervened just in time, in fact. Sherlock had to admit he had been considering licking some of these samples, just to check what would happen.

But for now, he would watch some TV with John. The specimens were not going anywhere, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> No, John will not allow Sherlock to lick these samples.  
> Hopefully.
> 
> Practice social distancing, but be reasonable. If you are living with someone and you have regular contact, you can't not-infect (or infect) them any more than you already did.  
> If you came from abroad or from a larger gathering, be careful, quarantine yourself if you are not ordered so by the appropriate services and, if you can, work from home.


End file.
